Coopah How To: Set Your Marathon Goals

As we are coming towards the end of the year, like me, you might now be starting to think more about your 2025 running goals, and what you want to achieve.

I honestly love nothing more than sitting down at the end of December and writing a list of what I want to achieve the following year; whether thats running, professional or just general day to day life. But, for the purpose of this blog, lets stick to running, and more specifically marathon running.

And do you know the best thing about running goals: your goals are entirely your own.

• If you want to run a specific time, go for it.
• If you’re chasing a personal best (PB), amazing.
• If you’re aiming to cross the finish line of your first marathon in one piece, incredible.

The exact goal itself doesn’t matter as much as the process of setting it, and building the plan to achieve it. So, here are some tips to help you create meaningful and achievable marathon goals for 2025.

Be Specific

Think about what really matters to you, as I said a goal doesn’t always need to be time based, but having a clear, specific goal is a great way to not only stay motivated, but also to ensure you are doing the right things to help you get there. For example a vague goal like “start running more” is a good start, but the magic really happens when you get specific and know exactly what you are aiming for;

• Want a time goal? Awesome, maybe sub-4 or sub-5, whatever feels right for you.
• Running your first marathon? Brilliant, maybe the goal is to finish strong and soak in every moment.
• Just want to build confidence and consistency? Great, focus on nailing your training plan.

Be Brave

Let’s be honest: big goals can feel scary. But does that mean we shouldn’t set them? Absolutely not.

Over the years, I have set myself many big goals in running. Some of these I have achieved, and some I have not. But does that mean I have failed? Personally, I don’t think so.

Because I still put myself out there, I still worked hard towards trying to achieve it and I showed up and tried my best. And that is really the most important thing.

So set those big goals. Be brave and push yourself. And remember, the best growth happens when we take on those big challenges that feel slightly out of reach.

Be Realistic

That said, whilst being brave is great, it’s also important to be honest with yourself and make sure those goals you are setting are realistic in the time frame you have;

• How far away is your event?
• How much time can you realistically commit to training each week?
• What’s your current fitness level?

For example if your dream is to achieve a Sub 4 marathon, but your current PB (personal best) is 5 hours, you may just need to take a step back and set yourself a smaller goal to achieve in the short term, whilst creating a long term plan to achieve this.

By setting yourself smaller, manageable goals this will also help to keep you motivated during your training as you will hopefully see progress a lot quicker, whilst knowing everything you are doing is getting you one step closer to achieving your ultimate goal.

Remember, progress in running takes time. It takes effort, hard work and commitment. We can’t always achieve everything we want to do at once, so having those long term goals and plan is a great way to keep you motivated to ensure you are always heading in the right direction.

Be Flexible

Above all else though, being flexible with your goals is probably one of the most important things when it comes to goal setting.

Sometimes, marathon training doesn’t always go to plan; maybe you missed a few training runs due to illness, maybe you picked up an injury, or maybe you just had to prioritise other things in your life meaning that the original goal you set might start to feel out of reach.

Well, I am here to tell you, that’s okay. The key thing here is to just adapt, rather than give up completely.

Something I do when setting goals, is to set yourself an A, B and C goal. That way, if you feel like you’re not on track for achieving your goal, you still always have something to aim for to keep you motivated throughout your training.

Here is an example;

A Goal – Sub 4 Marathon.

B Goal – Get a PB (current PB 4.10)

C Goal – Just finish! And cross the line feeling strong with a smile on my face.

Be Prepared

So here is your challenge for this week. Take some time to sit down, grab a notebook, or even the notes app on your phone, and think about your running goals. Not just the easy ones, but those big, bold, slightly scary goals too. Write them down.

Now, once you’ve got those goals in front of you, I want you to think about how you’re going to achieve them, and use the tips from this blog:

• Be Specific about what you want.
• Be Brave and aim high.
• Be Realistic about your current fitness and life commitments.
• Be Flexible and ready to adapt if needed.

I promise you, just writing your goals down is a huge step forward. Once you’ve committed to them, you’re already on the journey. And remember, the journey itself is part of the fun.

You might hit your goal in 3 months, or 6 months, or it could be a long-term goal that takes a few years. Whatever the timeline, every time you lace up your shoes and head out the door, you’re one step closer.